The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets
The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets is a Jetanie-Kuboian traditionally animated fantasy drama television series produced by Jetanie studio Colourbox and Kuboian studio Kubokartoonz. It is the third television series based off the Sweet Treets, and the first to be co-produced in Kuboia. It is the only entry in the franchise to be a Kantasy series. The show spawned two series consisting of thirty-six episodes that run for 18 minutes. The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets premiered in Kuboia on Nick Jr. Kuboia on 17th August, 1996 and premiered in Jetania on Z Bop in January 1997. The show also aired on Nick Jr. worldwide during the late 1990s and 2000s. The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets is the first entry in the Sweet Treets franchise, as well as the first cartoon produced by Kubokartoonz, to use digital ink. The show has proven to be very popular and has since gained a longtime cult following throughout Europe (mostly in Kuboia). However, the show sparked controversy due to its dramatic and mature tone. Premise The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets is a fantasy-orientated drama. The show focuses on tropes that young children often face, such as bullying, arguments and romantic relationships (including homosexual relationships). Several episodes in the series are part of an arc that runs through multiple episodes. Compared to the previous series, all of the characters have received slightly simpler designs, now having round black beads for eyes and limited detail on their clothes or fur. Louise Lockridge is now nine years old and remains the central character, but her mother, Liane, and the Treets are not as prominent in order for Louise's friends (Marilyn, Nate and Hugh) to get more screen time. Swoop retains his status as Louise's friend, but does little on the show aside from observing or giving advice. King Rojo has received a completely new design, is now part of the fictional Rogon species, now has several minions and, despite still being branded as the series' main antagonist, is now mostly a comical nuisance/rival rather than an actual threat. Several new characters have also been introduced. Episodes typically involve Louise suffering or being involved in a conflict or difficult situation, such as getting bullied in school or feeling that her father is not interested in her, and getting help from either the Treets and/or her friends to solve it. Characters Almost everybody from the 1984 Sweet Treets cartoon reprises their role as their respective character(s) - the only exception is Brud Rorqual, whose role as Magfire was taken over by an unknown voice actor. Main characters * Louise Lockridge (voiced by Sharlie Deem) - a nine year-old rebellious and misunderstood girl. Louise's personality has changed drastically compared to the 1984 Sweet Treets cartoon - here, she is very attention-seeking and tries to come off as very confident, but is actually usually anxious, self-conscious and cynical. Louise has difficulty socialising with others and understanding their feelings, so she sometimes ends up appearing very self-centred and rude despite trying to be otherwise. However, at the end of the day, she wants the best for herself and her friends, even if she has trouble showing it. * Nate Nicholson (voiced by Peter Malosh) - Louise's effeminate classmate, best friend and love interest who, like Louise, is very insecure and unconfident, though unlike her, he doesn't try to hide it. Although he enjoys Louise's company, he sometimes gets annoyed by her impulsive behaviour, and will occasionally nag her to behave in a certain manner. Louise and Nate have a crush on each other, though how strong their feelings for each other is varies from episode to episode. * Marilyn Madison (voiced by Opaline Robins) - a close friend of Louise and Nate who is typically pessimistic, ill-tempered and stressed. In this show, Marilyn is shown to have a difficult time at home due to frequently clashing with her stepfather, Rod. Marilyn's biological father died before the events of the show, and she has the tendency to reminisce the times she spent with him. She often suffers from a lack of sleep, and has a bad habit of being very clingy towards her friends, especially Hugh. * Hugh Halls (voiced by Opaline Robins in series 1 and Sap M.N. Williams in series 2) - a new character introduced in this show, Hugh is a close friend of Louise and Nate and Marilyn's best friend. Unlike his three friends, he is generally laid back and doesn't take a lot of things seriously (though he will be serious on certain occasions). Although he is occasionally teases others, Hugh is friendly and polite to virtually everybody on the show. However, his optimistic nature makes him very gullible, and is easy to manipulate. * Swoop (voiced by Sap M.N. Williams) - a talking seagull-parrot hybrid, who was once an enemy of Louise and company, but now good friends with them. Swoop is very intelligent and is good at giving his friends advice when they need it, though he generally doesn't like getting involved in conflicts unless he feels like he has to. Due to being a bird, he is usually homeless, and has to sleep inside trees or holes. Since Swoop is a bird, he is often not allowed in public buildings, so has to either sneak in or get left behind. The Treets The Treets are a fictional species consisting of spherical floating creatures. They were popular along time ago, but are now almost extinct due to the lack of care for them in recent years. The Treets cannot talk, but are capable of making certain sound effects. They try to help Louise improve her social skills, and also try to direct her away from danger. All of the Treets are voiced by Ashley Maverick. * Pinky - the most playful of the Treets, who enjoys hanging out with Louise and her friends the most. It is good at sensing danger from a large distance. * Shiny - a Treet which is capable of emitting a spherical beam of light. * Floaty - the wisest of the Treets. Louise usually uses it to help her make decisions. * Galaxy - a Treet capable of putting people to sleep. Louise only takes it with her on certain occasions, in fear that using Galaxy could get her in trouble. * Kinky - a Treet who Louise uses to help build relationships. Supporting characters * Liane Lockridge (voiced by Ashley Maverick) - Louise's single mother, who was orphaned at a young age. Liane spoils her daughter badly, but also gets along with her very well. She has difficulty socialising with others and relies on her daughter for a lot of emotional support. * Zedd Farrow (voiced by Marty Rockfield) - Louise's self-absorbed father, who has difficulty showing concern for others, including his children. Louise often gets upset since she feels that her father isn't interested in her. However, he is quick at apologising and making up for his behaviour. * Tyh Farrow - Louise's five year-old half-brother and Zedd's son and youngest child. He is hardly seen smiling, and has difficulty trusting people. Tyh doesn't get to see his sister, Louise, a lot, so the two really enjoy each other's company when they do. Louise has the tendency to treat Tyh like a baby (such as feeding him and carrying him everywhere), but he doesn't mind. * Zoe Falls (voiced by Charlie Karma) - a classmate and acquaintance of Louise, who is very intelligent and good at problem solving. Louise finds her to be a bit of a show-off, but will occasionally ask for help or invite her to social gatherings. * Tigen Halls (voiced by Charlie Karma) - Hugh's bratty seven year-old sister, who is extremely impatient and petulant. She has a mixed relationship with her older brother, who often finds her to be a nuisance, but does care for her deep down. However, she generally isn't liked by Marilyn or Swoop. Main antagonists * King Rojo (voiced by Henry Buckings) - the egotistical king of the fictional Rogon species. Despite proclaiming to be an evil overlord, Rojo is nowhere near as threatening as he was in the 1984 Sweet Treets cartoon, and most of his schemes are now just playful pranks and being silly. However, he remains a recurring, yet somewhat friendly rival to Louise. Rojo treats his minions well, though he will occasionally not account for them. The human species have a mixed opinion of him - some treat him like a celebrity, whilst others treat him like a villain. * Stumpy - King Rojo's friendly but unintelligent second-in-comand minion, who usually follows all of his king's commands, though he will sometimes disobey Rojo if he thinks he is not getting treated well. Stumpy is never bad at heart, but sometimes does bad things to impress the king. * Gunge - Stumpy's mischievous younger brother who, despite supposedly not being employed by King Rojo, often joins in with his schemes for fun. Gunge enjoys playing practical jokes and tricks on others, though he will sometimes help other people if he thinks he will get a reward or fun out of it. He sometimes hangs out with Louise, but is disliked by Marilyn and Nate due to his behaviour. * Rusty - Gunge's greedy and dimwitted best (and usually only) friend, who enjoys eating lots of food. His favourite food is blueberry pie. * Anthem Rivers (voiced by Candis Westwind) - a classmate of Louise and company, who is self-centred, nasty, and lacks sympathy for anybody aside from herself. Anthem frequently bullies, insults and manipulates her classmates, and is strongly disliked by Louise and company (except Hugh) because of this. Anthem appears to have a crush on both Nate and Hugh, and occasionally tries to get one of them to date her, but it never works. She appears to be spoilt by her middle-class parents. * Rod Fellow - Marilyn's dishonest and controlling stepfather, who is obsessed with money, and is often seen conning people by selling things for ridiculous prices. Rod can also get very competitive, and doesn't like somebody being better than him at something he enjoys. He sometimes gives Marilyn and her friends money if he thinks he doesn't need it, or if he thinks doing so makes up for his immoral behaviour. Development A collaboration between Colourbox and Kubokartoonz was confirmed in mid 1993. It was later announced in September that year that the two companies were working on a third Sweet Treets cartoon. Throughout the show's production, many rumours spread regarding its premise, one being that the series had been reworked into an adult-orientated animated soap opera. However, this was confirmed false by Lake Caters in September 1995, who stated that the series was still targeted for children, but admitted that the companies wanted to take "a more serious approach" when producing the show. The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets introduced several new characters to the franchise who have since became very popular in the Sweet Treets fanbase. Lake Caters spoke about developing new characters for the show in an interview that took place in late 1996 - Hugh Halls was introduced to balance out the males and females in Louise's group of (human) friends (Louise and Marilyn are females, whilst Nate and Hugh are males). The Kuboian team also felt that one can only do so much with King Rojo, so three minions for the king, Stumpy, Gunge and Rusty, were created, alongside an alternative antagonist, Anthem Rivers. According to Ashley Maverick in a 2018 interview, The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets is the most expensive cartoon she has ever produced when money is adjusted for inflation. This is due to Colourbox wanting the series to match the quality of that of a feature film at the time, meaning that a lot of budget was spent on animation and music. The show used software for its digital ink. Censorship Due to the show featuring content that is considered culturally appropriate in Kuboia, but unsuitable for young children elsewhere in the world, The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets features significant censorship when aired internationally. This includes removing minor profanity, removing references to alcohol and toning down references to sexual references (such as puberty). Reception Critical reception The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets has been met with critical acclaim from both fans and critics, with praise towards the show's animation, characters, music and storytelling. The show has reportedly been significantly enjoyed by both teenagers and young adults despite being targeted for young children. On internet database website IMDB, the show has an average rating of 9.1 out of 10. Controversy Change in tone Since the show's original premiere, is has widely been debated whether the complete change in tone for the franchise was a good idea or not. Fans of previous instalments in the series argue that the show's mature premise is out of place, and occasionally comes off as silly. Others have argued that the franchise is maturing with those who watched previous instalments, and keeping up with a more then-modern demands. Legacy In recent years, the show has became a cult classic, with many fans of the Sweet Treets franchise referring to The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets as the best cartoon in the series, as well as one of the best television series of all time. WatchMojo.com ranked the show number two in their Top Ten Kuboian Cartoons list. Soundtrack : Main article: The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets: The Official Soundtrack The series' official soundtrack, The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets: The Official Soundtrack, was released throughout Europe on 10th August, 1997. The soundtrack contains songs that are heard at least once throughout the series. Episodes Series overview Series 1 (1996) Series 2 (1997) International broadcast Jetania * Z Bop (1997-2002) * Nick Jr. (1999-2005) Kuboia * Nick Jr. Kuboia (1996-2010) * Kantasia (2018-present) Argentina * Magic Kids (1997-2006) Australia * ABC Kids (1997-2001) Austria * 3sat (2003-2011) Brazil * Rede Globo (1996-2005) Canada * YTV (1997-2010) Central and Eastern Europe * Fox Kids Play (2003-2005) * Jetix Play (2005-2010) * KidsCo (2007-2013) Denmark * DR1 (1998-2005) El Kadsre * El TV Kadsre 2 (1997-2005) Finland * Yle TV1 (1998-2007) France * TF1 (1996-2003) * M6 (1996-2009) * France 5 (2003-2011) Germany * Super RTL (1997-2008) * 3sat (2003-2011) Hungary * Minimax (1999-2011) Ireland * RTÉ Two (1997-2005) * Nick Jr. (2006-2010) Italy * Italia 1 (1997-2001) * K2 (2003-2010) Japan * NHK (1997-2008) Kidsney * Hoopohu Channel (????-present) Latin America * ZAZ (1998-2012) * Nick Jr. (2001-2009) Middle East The show's Arabic title is "المحبوبون: العرض الجديد", and the dub was produced by Venus Company in Syria. * Spacetoon (2002-present) Netherlands * Kindernet (1997-2003) * Nick Jr. (2003-2010) New Zealand * TV3 (1997-2003) Philippines * RPN (1996-2000) * Jack TV (2005-2015) * Hero (2009-2016) * Yey! (2014-present) Sweden * SVT1 (1997-2008) Switzerland * 3sat (2003-2011) Tasanala * Disney Channel (1999-2020) United Kingdom In the United Kingdom, The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets premiered on CBBC in August 1996. Episodes typically premiered approximately two weeks after their Kuboian airing. Interestingly, CBBC would air episodes in their original uncensored version. Reruns continued to air on CBBC until February 2002. Reruns of the show were picked up by Nick Jr. in September 1999, but unlike CBBC, episodes would be censored. Starting in April 2006, the show would frequently switch between airing on Nick Jr. and Nick Jr. 2 until reruns stopped airing on the channels altogether in April 2010. * CBBC (1996-2002) * Nick Jr. (1999-2010) * Nick Jr. 2 (2006-2010) United States * Nick Jr. (1997-2003) * Noggin (2003-2009) * Cookie Jar Toons (2010-2011) Trivia * The show is generally credited as being the first Kantasy series to use digital ink. However, this is wrong, as this title actually belongs to The Adventures of Charlie and Tutu. * Only an English version of the theme song, "Be Me", was ever recorded. Foreign dubs of the show either use the English theme song, or use an instrumental version of it. * The show is one of the few shows that Nick Jr. Kuboia aired during its entire fourteen year run. * Louise and the Treets are the only characters who appear in every episode. * It is the only Sweet Treets cartoon with a dark premise. * It is the only Sweet Treets cartoon to get censored in most countries. * Ironically, it is also the only Sweet Treets cartoon to air on preschool channels in most countries. Category:Jetania Category:Kuboia Category:Kantasy Category:1990s Category:1996 Category:TV shows Category:Fictional TV shows Category:TV series Category:Fictional TV series Category:Television shows Category:Fictional television shows Category:Television series Category:Fictional television series Category:The Sweet Treets Category:Animated series Category:Fictional animated series Category:The New Adventures of The Sweet Treets